Tue, 03/29/2016 - 15:08

Street Fancy retired, will be bred this spring

Benoit & Associates
Street Fancy, ridden by Mike Smith, finishes strong in the stretch to win the Grade 1 Starlet by a length.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Street Fancy, upset winner of the Grade 1 Starlet in December at Los Alamitos, has been retired from racing and will be bred following her last-place finish Saturday in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks.

Trainer Phil D’Amato confirmed Tuesday that the filly’s owner, Agave Racing Stable, decided on retirement after Street Fancy misfired for the second time. In her previous start Feb. 6 at Santa Anita, Street Fancy banged her head in the starting gate and finished last in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes.

Tue, 03/29/2016 - 12:45

McLaughlin could use a pick-me-up from Mohaymen

Barbara D. Livingston
Despite a long campaign, including this win in the Pennsylvania Derby, Frosted is holding his weight well, said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- The undefeated Mohaymen was a sight for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s bleary eyes after a weekend of both professional and personal disappointment.

“It picked my head right up,” McLaughlin said on a steamy Tuesday morning at the Palm Meadows training center in south Florida.

Tue, 03/29/2016 - 12:30

Songbird cruises in work for Santa Anita Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Songbird wins the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird continues to impress, in her races and workouts. Tuesday morning at Santa Anita, the undefeated filly cruised a graceful six furlongs in her final major drill for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9.

“She went three-quarters like it was nothing, like she was walking around the shed row,” jockey Mike Smith said. “She would have gone around again.”

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 15:26

Bachelor logical spot for Will Munnings

Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park
Will Munnings, with Jon Court aboard, wins the Gazebo Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Will Munnings, the winner of the $100,000 Gazebo for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Oaklawn, is a candidate for the $150,000 Bachelor here April 15, trainer Jinks Fires said Monday. The Bachelor also is for 3-year-olds at the six-furlong distance of the Gazebo.

Will Munnings on Saturday sat just off the pace under Jon Court and went on to a 1 3/4-length win.

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 15:20

American Pioneer looking better and better

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – American Pioneer’s stock has kept rising since his win in a maiden special weight race on the Rebel Stakes card March 19 at Oaklawn. Following the race, he was made eligible for the Triple Crown, and on Saturday, the lone horse to have defeated him – Dazzling Gem – ran third in the Louisiana Derby. Dazzling Gem beat American Pioneer in their debuts Jan. 18.

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 15:16

Dazzling Gem opens up world of options

Coady Photography
Dazzling Gem followed up this allowance win with a third-place finish in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Dazzling Gem was traveling back to his Oaklawn base Monday after putting his connections in a “fun” position Saturday by running third in the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The horse has a host of options for his next start, trainer Brad Cox said, including the Kentucky Derby after picking up 20 eligibility points for the May 7 classic at Churchill Downs.

“It’s fun to have these decisions in front of you,” said Cox, who trains Dazzling Gem for Arkansas businessman Steve Landers.

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 15:00

Quezon eyes Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct

Barbara D. Livingston
Quezon won a second-level allowance at Gulfstream Park making her first start in 10 months.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The New York-bred Quezon, who came off a 10-month layoff to win a second-level allowance at Gulfstream last Friday, could make her next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct on April 17, trainer Robert Ribaudo said.

“Seven-eighths is a great distance for her,” Ribaudo said. “I know it’s open [company]. We’ll see what she looks like out of this race and see what that looks like.”

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 15:00

Private Zone ready for first work back

Barbara D. Livingston
Private Zone is being pointed to the True North at Belmont Park on June 10.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch said the four-time Grade 1 winner Private Zone is scheduled to return to the work tab this week at Palm Meadows as he prepares for his 7-year-old season.

Private Zone has not raced since finishing fifth of six as the 6-5 favorite in last November’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile. He hinted that he might not be ready to fire his best when he bolted during a workout at Palm Meadows a week before the race.

Private Zone got plenty of time off and has been galloping for several weeks at Palm Meadows.

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 14:56

Heart to Heart bypassing Appleton for Maker's 46 Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Heart to Heart will go for a Grade 1 win in the Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch has enjoyed a terrific winter at Gulfstream Park, winning 12 races from 50 starters, including a 5-for-5 record in stakes.

Heart to Heart was responsible for two of those stakes wins, taking the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale and Grade 3 Canadian Turf. While Lynch said Heart to Heart would “be the boss” in Saturday’s $200,000 Appleton Stakes, he plans to skip that race and point the horse to the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland on April 15.

Mon, 03/28/2016 - 14:40

Mott breaks out with huge weekend

Benoit & Associates
Chris DeCarlo, riding his first mount at Santa Anita, guides Tuttipaesi to victory in the Santa Ana Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A quarantine at his Payson Park base limited the number of starts Bill Mott’s horses could make over the last month, but last Saturday, he made up for lost time, winning stakes races at three locations.